food relations

Knee is getting better, just a little more rest needed. I will start a light walk today and see how it holds up just about 1 mile today. The weird thing is that I can ride my bike just fine; that's what I been doing the past few days since I hurt myself.

While I was sitting on the sofa and feeling sorry for myself that I hurt my knee... again, I was thinking.. Oh, no here goes my progress again. For me it's such a hard balance between movement and eating and feeling sorry for myself. Well, I guess that's how it is for many people. I decided a long time ago not to deprive myself of certain foods and while it is at times difficult I also refuse to eat dessert at night. I learned that's my trigger time. If I give in and have a piece of something sweet at night I want another ... and another. Jet, If I have the same piece in the early afternoon I just do fine. I can walk away from seconds.

Thinking about that I remember growing up in Germany and how we many time, almost daily had sweets or desserts or cake in the afternoon followed by a light dinner. We had our hot meal around 1 pm and it worked great that way. School days are a lot shorter there, but the school year is longer. So we would come home and my mom had a hot meal. My dad worked in a job where he could come home for lunch as well, so it worked out fine. Living in the country we had the run of the land and back then there was no fear or threat to our safety and even us girls could explore the fields and forest around our home. We spend many days berry picking and apple picking and finding nuts and seeds in the forest areas. At night my dad would take us owl hunting, meaning we'd go out and find a spot to listen to owls hoot or waited for them to swoop closer and take a look at what was disturbing their night hunt, mainly us. lol My dad was part of a group who took care of the birds and flying predators by monitoring, counting and occasionally feeding them. In the fall we went to install nesting boxes and clean existing nesting boxes. ..but I am getting caught up in the past...

Food was always a thing in our family and some days we had little special, often forgo meat in favor of less expensive foods such as bread, potatoes and eggs. We were five kids at home and mom only occasionally held a job to help out. So we basically had one income and 7 mouth to feed. But again our garden and the land around us provided plenty. I think that is what influences me the most today... not having what we wanted back then or having it only on special times makes me today reluctant to give up food I like when I can so much more afford it. It also influences the type of food I eat... like potatoes where a staple, now I eat them mostly mashed or as a hash brown or not at all. We didn't have peanut butter, we had Nutella and that only on Sunday mornings... special day for food in our house. So now I eat my sandwich with peanut butter and Nutella and can't think of why we didn't have it growing up.